The long arm of coincidence.

The long arm of coincidence.

The massive gates of circumstance
Are turned upon the smallest hinge,
And thus some seeming pettiest chance
read more

The massive gates of circumstance
Are turned upon the smallest hinge,
And thus some seeming pettiest chance
Oft gives our life its after-tinge.
The trifles of our daily lives,
The common things, scarce worth recall,
Whereof no visible trace survives,
These are the mainsprings after all.

I am the very slave of circumstance
And impulse--borne away with every breath.

I am the very slave of circumstance
And impulse--borne away with every breath.

And I endeavour to subdue circumstances to myself, and not myself
to circumstances.
[Lat., Et mihi res, non read more

And I endeavour to subdue circumstances to myself, and not myself
to circumstances.
[Lat., Et mihi res, non me rebus, subjungere conor.]

F.M. The Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr.
------ and declines to interfere in circumstances over which read more

F.M. The Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr.
------ and declines to interfere in circumstances over which he
has no control.

And grasps the skirts of happy chance,
And breasts the blows of circumstance.

And grasps the skirts of happy chance,
And breasts the blows of circumstance.

The changeful change of circumstances.
[Lat., Varia sors rerum.]

The changeful change of circumstances.
[Lat., Varia sors rerum.]

For these attacks do not contribute to make us frail but rather
show us to be what we are.

For these attacks do not contribute to make us frail but rather
show us to be what we are.

Thus we see, too, in the world that some persons assimilate only
what is ugly and evil from the read more

Thus we see, too, in the world that some persons assimilate only
what is ugly and evil from the same moral circumstances which
supply good and beautiful results--the fragrance of celestial
flowers--to the daily life of others.